Killing Spree

Title: Killing Spree
Rating: 2/5
Genre: Horror
Starring: Asbestos Felt, Courtney Lercara
Director: Tim Ritter
Duration: 89 mins

Boredom and curiosity. Many have wondered how I find out about the unknown movies I watch, and it all comes down to boredom and curiosity. Such was the case when I discovered Killing Spree, a forgotten 1987 slasher film. I honestly couldn't imagine another way I could have found this without browsing imdb.com or amazon.com for at least an hour. I'm always on the lookout for bloodbaths yet unseen, and when I saw this film from the same distributers as Video Violence I grasped the opportunity. Coincidentally, the theme of this splatterfest involves a bit of boredom and curiosity itself.

Overworked and underpaid airplane mechanic Tom Russo is already possessive enough of his mega-hottie babe of a wife, Leeza, when he finds her secret diary. When he takes a peek, it reveals Leeza's sexual encounters with nearly every man she meets while he's away at work. Needless to say, this transforms Tom into a paranoid and vindictive killer, taking his bloody vengence on all the filthy men to supposedly spoil his wife.

The oddly named Asbestos Felt has the look of a truly demented individual. Unfortunately, he's one of the biggest overactors these eyes have ever seen, with his character often coming off as an unsympathetic jerk. Courtney Lercara, however, is quite a looker. I don't mean to sound like a sleaze, but it's a real waste of flesh that she had no onscreen nude scenes. Normally I don't complain about such things as long as the gore's good (and it is), but this is a rare exception, especially after having to watch a scene of the lanky Felt in very skimpy black underwear. The rest of the actors are, well, not actors (although the lawnmower valley-boy was amusing). The score is boring 80's synth, the direction is subpar but forgivable, and the gore effects are too rubbery. To be fair though, the film does boast a scene that takes the phrase "giving head" even more outrageously than Re-Animator.

As for the movie itself, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. It takes a while for the mayhem to begin, and the impression one gets from the first killing isn't optimistic. But as the movie continues we are subject to a very creative death involving a chainsaw, a man's exposed intestines, and an electric current. Sometimes Killing Spree's drawbacks and Asbestos Felt's overacting work towards unintential comedy. One classic example being Tom's walk on the beach, beating up random beach-goers in frustration after reading his wife's saucy diary. Sadly, I can't say the same about the Tales From The Crypt-esque final 20 minutes. I don't want to spoil anything, but let's just say that the zombies were out of place and ineffective.

Killing Spree is an original story that was poorly executed (pardon the pun). In the right mood it can be enjoyed, perhaps with some root beer and pizza. In the wrong mood it can be mighty tedious. I suppose it just depends on your level of boredom and curiosity.

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